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OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


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OLD 

MOTHER WEST WIND 

BY .,/ 

THORNTON W. BURGESS 

\\ 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY 
GEORGE F. KERR 


N ON-R EFE 

IS* 





&IMYAD • Q3S 


BOSTON 

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 
1914 




V7-'° 

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Copyright, /pro, ip/4. 

By Little, Brown, and Company. 


All rights reserved 


Illustrated Edition, Published, September, 1914 



SEP 22 1914 


^printers 

S. J. Pahkhill & Co., Boston, U.S.A. 


©Cl. A 37959 9 

A* I . 


Mg Motfyer 

TO WHOM I OWE SO MUCH 

And To 

Mg ICittlf £>mt 

WHOSE LOVE OF STORIES INSPIRED 
THESE TALES 

This Little Volume Is Affectionately 
Dedicated 




CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I. Mrs. Redwing’s Speckled Egg i 

II. Why Grandfather Frog Has no Tail 9 

III. How Reddy Fox Was Surprised 17 

IV. Why Jimmy Skunk Wears Stripes 27 

V. The Wilful Little Breeze 39 

VI. Reddy Fox Goes Fishing 47 

VII. Jimmy Skunk Looks for Beetles 57 

VIII. Billy Mink’s Swimming Party 67 

IX. Peter Rabbit Plays a Joke 75 

X. How Sammy Jay was Found Out 85 

XL Jerry Muskrat’s Party 95 

XII. Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox Play Tricks .... 103 

XIII. Johnny Chuck Finds the Best Thing in the 

World 113 

XIV. Little Joe Otter’s Slippery Slide 121 

XV. The Tale of Tommy Trout Who Didn’t Mind. 129 

XVI. Spotty the Turtle Wins a Race 135 













■V 


















































LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Peter Rabbit told him what he had seen .... Frontispiece 

Page 

Every time he looked his tail had grown shorter and 

smaller 14,/* 

He was the maddest little woodchuck that ever lived in 

the Green Meadows 22 

“ What might make whiskers yellow? ” asked Old Dame 

Nature 36 v' 

He was just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel drop a 

nut 78 

Reddy Fox sat down and waited, but Peter Rabbit 

didn’t come out 82 v' 

Sometimes some one would fall off into the water and 

get wet 100 S 

Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox pulled and tugged and 

tugged and pulled 107 







I 

MRS. REDWING’S SPECKLED EGG 







































OLD MOTHER WEST 
WIND 


I 

MRS. REDWING’S SPECKLED EGG 

LD MOTHER WEST WIND came 
down from the Purple Hills in the 
golden light of the early morning. 
Over her shoulders was slung a bag 
— a great big bag — and in the bag were all of 
Old Mother West Wind’s children, the Merry Lit- 
tle Breezes. 

Old Mother West Wind came down from the 
Purple Hills to the Green Meadows and as she 
walked she crooned a song: 

“ Ships upon the ocean wait; 

I must hurry, hurry on! 

Mills are idle if I’m late; 

I must hurry, hurry on! ” 

[ 3 1 




OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


When she reached the Green Meadows Old 
Mother West Wind opened her bag, turned it up- 
side down and shook it. Out tumbled all the Merry 
Little Breezes and began to spin round and round 
for very joy, for you see they were to play in the 
Green Meadows all day long until Old Mother 
West Wind should come back at night and take 
them all to their home behind the Purple Hills. 

First they raced over to see Johnny Chuck. 
They found Johnny Chuck sitting just outside his 
door eating his breakfast. One, for very mischief, 
snatched right out of Johnny Chucks mouth the 
green leaf of corn he was eating, and ran away with 
it. Another playfully pulled his whiskers, while a 
third rumpled up his hair. 

Johnny Chuck pretended to be very cross indeed, 
but really he didn’t mind a bit, for Johnny Chuck 
loved the Merry Little Breezes and played with 
them every day. 

And if they teased Johnny Chuck they were good 
to him, too. When they saw Farmer Brown com- 
[4] 


MRS. REDWING’S SPECKLED EGG 


ing across the Green Meadows with a gun one of 
them would dance over to Johnny Chuck and whis- 
per to him that Farmer Brown was coming, and 
then Johnny Chuck would hide away, deep down 
in his snug little house under ground, and Farmer 
Brown would wonder and wonder why it was that 
he never, never could get near enough to shoot 
Johnny Chuck. But he never, never could. 

When the Merry Little Breezes left Johnny 
Chuck they raced across the Green Meadows to 
the Smiling Pool to say good morning to Grand- 
father Frog, who sat on a big lily pad watching for 
green flies for breakfast. 

“Chug-arum,” said Grandfather Frog, which was 
his way of saying good morning. 

Just then along came a fat green fly and up 
jumped Grandfather Frog. When he sat down 
again on the lily pad the fat green fly was nowhere 
to be seen, but Grandfather Frog looked very well 
satisfied indeed as he contentedly rubbed his white 
waistcoat with one hand. 

[ 5 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“What is the news, Grandfather Frog?” cried 
the Merry Little Breezes. 

“ Mrs. Redwing has a new speckled egg in 
her nest in the bulrushes,” said Grandfather 
Frog. 

“We must see it,” cried the Merry Little Breezes, 
and away they all ran to the swamp where the bul- 
rushes grow. 

Now someone else had heard of Mrs. Redwing’s 
dear little nest in the bulrushes, and he had started 
out bright and early that morning to try and find 
it, for he wanted to steal the little speckled eggs 
just because they were pretty. It was Tommy 
Brown, the farmer’s boy. 

When the Merry Little Breezes reached the 
swamp where the bulrushes grow they found poor 
Mrs. Redwing in great distress. She was afraid 
that Tommy Brown would find her dear little nest, 
for he was very, very near it, and his eyes were 
very, very sharp. 

“ Oh,” cried the Merry Little Breezes, “ we must 

[ 6 ] 


MRS. REDWING’S SPECKLED EGG 


help Mrs. Redwing save her pretty speckled eggs 
from bad Tommy Brown!” 

So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked 
Tommy Brown’s old straw hat off his head over 
into the Green Meadows. Of course Tommy ran 
after it. Just as he stooped to pick it up another 
little Breeze ran away with it. Then they took 
turns, first one little Breeze, then another little 
Breeze running away with the old straw hat just 
as Tommy Brown would almost get his hands 
on it. Down past the Smiling Pool and across 
the Laughing Brook they raced and chased the 
old straw hat, Tommy Brown running after it, 
very cross, very red in the face, and breathing 
very hard. Way across the Green Meadows 
they ran to the edge of the wood, where they 
hung the old straw hat in the middle of a thorn 
tree. By the time Tommy Brown had it once 
more on his head he had forgotten all about Mrs. 
Redwing and her dear little nest. Besides, he 
heard the breakfast horn blowing just then, so off 
[ 7 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


he started for home up the Lone Little Path 
through the wood. 

And all the Merry Little Breezes danced away 
across the Green Meadows to the swamp where the 
bulrushes grow to see the new speckled egg in the 
dear little nest where Mrs. Redwing was singing 
for joy. And while she sang the Merry Little 
Breezes danced among the bulrushes, for they knew, 
and Mrs. Redwing knew, that some day out of that 
pretty new speckled egg would come a wee baby 
Redwing. 


[ 8 ] 


II 

WHY GRANDFATHER FROG 
NO TAIL 


HAS 


II 


WHY GRANDFATHER FROG HAS 
NO TAIL 

LD MOTHER WEST WIND had 
gone to her day’s work, leaving all the 
Merry Little Breezes to play in the 
Green Meadows. They had played tag 
and run races with the Bees and played hide and seek 
with the Sun Beams, and now they had gathered 
around the Smiling Pool where on a green lily pad 
sat Grandfather Frog. 

Grandfather Frog was old, very old, indeed, 
and very, very wise. He wore a green coat and 
his voice was very deep. When Grandfather 
Frog spoke everybody listened very respectfully. 
Even Billy Mink treated Grandfather Frog with 
respect, for Billy Mink’s father and his father’s 
father could not remember when Grandfather 
[ ii ] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Frog had not sat on the lily pad watching for 
green flies. 

Down in the Smiling Pool were some of Grand- 
father Frog’s great-great-great-great-great-grandchil- 
dren. You wouldn’t have known that they were his 
grandchildren unless someone told you. They 
didn’t look the least bit like Grandfather Frog. 
They were round and fat and had long tails and 
perhaps this is why they were called Pollywogs. 

“ Oh, Grandfather Frog, tell us why you don’t have 
a tail as you did when you were young,” begged one 
of the Merry Little Breezes. 

Grandfather Frog snapped up a foolish green fly 
and settled himself on his big lily pad, while all the 
Merry Little Breezes gathered round to listen. 

“Once on a time,” began Grandfather Frog, “the 
Frogs ruled the world, which was mostly water. 
There was very little dry land — oh, very little in- 
deed! There were no boys to throw stones and no 
hungry Mink to gobble up foolish Frog-babies who 
were taking a sun bath!” 

[ 12 ] 


WHY THE FROG HAS NO TAIL 


Billy Mink, who had joined the Merry Little 
Breezes and was listening, squirmed uneasily and 
looked away guiltily. 

“In those days all the Frogs had tails, long hand- 
some tails of which they were very, very proud in- 
deed,” continued Grandfather Frog. “The King of 
all the Frogs was twice as big as any other Frog, 
and his tail was three times as long. He was very 
proud, oh, very proud indeed of his long tail. He 
used to sit and admire it until he thought that there 
never had been and never could be another such tail. 
He used to wave it back and forth in the water, and 
every time he waved it all the other Frogs would 
cry ‘Ah!’ and ‘Oh!’ Every day the King grew 
more vain. He did nothing at all but eat and sleep 
and admire his tail. 

“ Now all the other Frogs did just as the King 
did, so pretty soon none of the Frogs were doing any- 
thing but sitting about eating, sleeping and admir- 
ing their own tails and the King’s. 

“Now you all know that people who do nothing 
[ 13 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


worth while in this world are of no use and there is 
little room for them. So when Mother Nature saw 
how useless had become the Frog tribe she called 
the King Frog before her and she said: 

‘“Because you can think of nothing but your beau- 
tiful tail it shall be taken away from you. Because 
you do nothing but eat and sleep your mouth shall 
become wide like a door, and your eyes shall start 
forth from your head. You shall become bow- 
legged and ugly to look at, and all the world shall 
laugh at you.’ 

“The King Frog looked at his beautiful tail 
and already it seemed to have grown shorter. He 
looked again and it was shorter still. Every time 
he looked his tail had grown shorter and smaller. 
By and by when he looked there was nothing left 
but a little stub which he couldn’t even wriggle. 
Then even that disappeared, his eyes popped out of 
his head and his mouth grew bigger and bigger.” 

Old Grandfather Frog stopped and looked sadly 
at a foolish green fly coming his way. “Chug- 
[ 14 1 



Every time he looked his tail had grown shorter 
and smaller. Page 14. 












- 









t 




WHY THE FROG HAS NO TAIL 


arum,” said Grandfather Frog, opening his mouth 
very wide and hopping up in the air. When he sat 
down again on his lily pad the green fly was nowhere 
to be seen. Grandfather Frog smacked his lips and 
continued : 

“And from that day to this every Frog has started 
life with a big tail, and as he has grown bigger and 
bigger his tail has grown smaller and smaller, until 
finally it disappears, and then he remembers how 
foolish and useless it is to be vain of what nature 
has given us. And that is how I came to lose my 
tail,” finished Grandfather Frog. 

“Thank you,” shouted all the Merry Little 
Breezes. “We won’t forget.” 

Then they ran to see who could reach Johnny 
Chuck’s home first and tell him that Farmer Brown 
was coming down on the Green Meadows with a 
gun. 


[ i5 1 




Ill 

HOW REDDY FOX WAS SURPRISED 


Ill 

HOW REDDY FOX WAS SURPRISED 



IOHNNY CHUCK and Reddy Fox 
lived very near together on the edge 
of the Green Meadows. Johnny 
1 Chuck was fat and roly-poly. Reddy 


Fox was slim and wore a bright red coat. Reddy 
Fox used to like to frighten Johnny Chuck by sud- 
denly popping out from behind a tree and making be- 
lieve that he was going to eat Johnny Chuck all up. 

One bright summer day Johnny Chuck was out 
looking for a good breakfast of nice tender clover. 
He had wandered quite a long way from his snug 
little house in the long meadow grass, although his 
mother had told him never to go out of sight of the 
door. But Johnny was like some little boys I know, 
and forgot all he had been told. 

He walked and walked and walked. Every few 
minutes Johnny Chuck saw something farther on 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


that looked like a patch of nice fresh clover. And 
every time when he reached it Johnny Chuck found 
that he had made a mistake. So Johnny Chuck 
walked and walked and walked. 

Old Mother West Wind, coming across the Green 
Meadows, saw Johnny Chuck and asked him where 
he was going. Johnny Chuck pretended not to hear 
and just walked faster. 

One of the Merry Little Breezes danced along in 
front of him. 

“Look out, Johnny Chuck; you will get lost,” 
cried the Merry Little Breeze, then pulled Johnny’s 
whiskers and ran away. 

Higher and higher up in the sky climbed round, 
red Mr. Sun. Every time Johnny Chuck looked 
up at him Mr. Sun winked. 

“ So long as I can see great round, red Mr. Sun 
and he winks at me I can’t be lost,” thought Johnny 
Chuck, and trotted on looking for clover. 

By and by Johnny Chuck really did find some 
clover — just the sweetest clover that grew in the 
[ 20 ] 


REDDY FOX SURPRISED 


Green Meadows. Johnny Chuck ate and ate and 
ate and then what do you think he did? Why, he 
curled right up in the nice sweet clover and went 
fast asleep. 

Great round, red Mr. Sun kept climbing higher 
and higher up in the sky, then by and by he began 
to go down on the other side, and long shadows 
began to creep out across the Green Meadows. 
Johnny Chuck didn’t know anything about them; 
he was fast asleep. 

By and by one of the Merry Little Breezes found 
Johnny Chuck all curled up in a funny round ball! 

“ Wake up, Johnny Chuck ! Wake up! ” shouted 
the Merry Little Breeze. 

Johnny Chuck opened his eyes. Then he sat up 
and rubbed them. For just a few, few minutes he 
couldn’t remember where he was at all. 

By and by he sat up very straight to look over the 
grass and see where he was. But he was so far 
from home that he didn’t see a single thing which 
looked at all like the things he was used to. The 
[ 21 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


trees were all different. The bushes were all differ- 
ent. Everything was different. Johnny Chuck 
was lost. 

Now, when Johnny sat up, Reddy Fox happened 
to be looking over the Green Meadows and he saw 
Johnny’s head when it popped above the grass. 

“Aha!” said Reddy Fox, “I’ll scare Johnny 
Chuck so he’ll wish he’d never put his nose out of 
his house.” 

Then Reddy dropped down behind the long grass 
and crept softly, oh, ever so softly, through little 
paths of his own, until he was right behind Johnny 
Chuck. Johnny Chuck* had been so intent looking 
for home that he didn’t see anything else. 

Reddy Fox stole right up behind Johnny and 
pulled Johnny’s little short tail hard. How it did 
frighten Johnny Chuck ! He jumped right straight 
up in the air and when he came down he was the 
maddest little woodchuck that ever lived in the 
Green Meadows. 

Reddy Fox had thought that Johnny would run, 


REDDY FOX SURPRISED 


and then Reddy meant to run after him and pull his 
tail and tease him all the way home. Now, Reddy 
Fox got as big a surprise as Johnny had had when 
Reddy pulled his tail. Johnny didn’t stop to think 
that Reddy Fox was twice as big as he, but, with 
his eyes snapping, and chattering as only a little 
Chuck can chatter, with every little hair on his 
little body standing right up on end, so that he 
seemed twice as big as he really was, he started 
for Reddy Fox. 

It surprised Reddy Fox so that he didn’t know 
what to do, and he simply ran. Johnny Chuck ran 
after him, nipping Reddy’s heels every minute or 
two. Peter Rabbit just happened to be down that 
way. He was sitting up very straight looking to 
see what mischief he could get into when he caught 
sight of Reddy Fox running as hard as ever he could. 
“It must be that Bowser, the hound, is after Reddy 
Fox,” said Peter Rabbit to himself. “I must watch 
out that he don’t find me.” 

Just then he caught sight of Johnny Chuck with 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


every little hair standing up on end and running 
after Reddy Fox as fast as his short legs could go. 

“Ho! ho! ho!” shouted Peter Rabbit. “Reddy 
Fox afraid of Johnny Chuck! Ho! ho! ho!” 

Then Peter Rabbit scampered away to find Jimmy 
Skunk and Bobby Coon and Happy Jack Squirrel 
to tell them all about how Reddy Fox had run away 
from Johnny Chuck, for you see they were all a little 
afraid of Reddy Fox. 

Straight home ran Reddy Fox as fast as he could 
go, and going home he passed the house of Johnny 
Chuck. Now Johnny couldn’t run so fast as Reddy 
Fox and he was puffing and blowing as only a fat 
little woodchuck can puff and blow when he has to 
run hard. Moreover, he had lost his ill temper now 
and he thought it was the best joke ever was to think 
that he had actually frightened Reddy Fox. When 
he came to his own house he stopped and sat on 
his hind legs once more. Then he shrilled out after 
Reddy Fox: “Reddy Fox is a ’fraid-cat, ’fraid-cat! 
Reddy Fox is a ’fraid-cat ! ” 

[ 24] 


REDDY FOX SURPRISED 


And all the Merry Little Breezes of Old Mother 
West Wind, who were playing on the Green Mead- 
ows, shouted: “Reddy Fox is a ’fraid-cat, ’fraid- 
cat ! ” 

And this is the way that Reddy Fox was sur- 
prised and that Johnny Chuck found his way home. 






WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 



IV 

WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 


IMMY SKUNK, as everybody knows, 
wears a striped suit, a suit of black 
and white. There was a time, long, 
long ago, when all the Skunk family 
wore black. Very handsome their coats were, too, 
a beautiful, glossy black. They were very, very 
proud of them and took the greatest care of them, 
brushing them carefully ever so many times a day. 

There was a Jimmy Skunk then, just as there is 
now, and he was head of all the Skunk family. 
Now this Jimmy Skunk was very proud and 
thought himself very much of a gentleman. He 
was very independent and cared for no one. Like 
a great many other independent people, he did not 
always consider the rights of others. Indeed, it 
was hinted in the wood and on the Green Meadows 
that not all of Jimmy Skunk’s doings would bear 
[ 29] 



4 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


the light of day. It was openly said that he was 
altogether too fond of prowling about at night, but 
no one could prove that he was responsible for mis- 
chief done in the night, for no one saw him. You 
see his coat was so black that in the darkness of 
the night it was not visible at all. 

Now about this time of which I am telling you 
Mrs. Ruffed Grouse made a nest at the foot of the 
Great Pine and in it she laid fifteen beautiful buff 
eggs. Mrs. Grouse was very happy, very happy 
indeed, and all the little meadow folks who knew of 
her happiness were happy too, for they all loved shy, 
demure, little Mrs. Grouse. Every morning when 
Peter Rabbit trotted down the Lone Little Path 
through the wood past the Great Pine he would stop 
for a few minutes to chat with Mrs. Grouse. 
Happy Jack Squirrel would bring her the news 
every afternoon. The Merry Little Breezes of Old 
Mother West Wind would run up a dozen times a 
day to see how she was getting along. 

One morning Peter Rabbit, coming down the 
I 30 1 


WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 

Lone Little Path for his usual morning call, found 
a terrible state of affairs. Poor little Mrs. Grouse 
was heart-broken. All about the foot of the Great 
Pine lay the empty shells of her beautiful eggs. 
They had been broken and scattered this way and 
that 

“ How did it happen?” asked Peter Rabbit. 

“I don’t know” sobbed poor little Mrs. Grouse. 
“In the night when I was fast asleep something 
pounced upon me. I managed to get away and fly 
up in the top of the Great Pine. In the morning I 
found all my eggs broken, just as you see them 
here.” 

Peter Rabbit looked the ground over very care- 
fully. He hunted around behind the Great Pine, 
he looked under the bushes, he studied the ground 
with a very wise air. Then he hopped off down the 
Lone Little Path to the Green Meadows. He 
stopped at the house of Johnny Chuck. 

“What makes your eyes so big and round?” 
asked Johnny Chuck. 

[31] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Peter Rabbit came very close so as to whisper in 
Johnny Chuck’s ear, and told him all that he had 
seen. Together they went to Jimmy Skunk’s 
house. Jimmy Skunk was in bed. He was very 
sleepy and very cross when he came to the door. 
Peter Rabbit told him what he had seen. 

“Too bad! Too bad!” said Jimmy Skunk, and 
yawned sleepily. 

“Won’t you join us in trying to find out who did 
it?” asked Johnny Chuck. 

Jimmy Skunk said he would be delighted to come 
but that he had some other business that morning 
and that he would join them in the afternoon. 
Peter Rabbit and Johnny Chuck went on. Pretty 
soon they met the Merry Little Breezes and told 
them the dreadful story. 

“What shall we do?” asked Johnny Chuck. 

“We’ll hurry over and tell Old Dame Nature,” 
cried the Merry Little Breezes, “and ask her what 
to do.” 

So away flew the Merry Little Breezes to Old 
[ 32 ] 


WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 


Dame Nature and told her all the dreadful story. 
Old Dame Nature listened very attentively. Then 
she sent the Merry Little Breezes to all the little 
meadow folks to tell everyone to be at the Great 
Pine that afternoon. Now whatever Old Dame 
Nature commanded all the little meadow folks were 
obliged to do. They did not dare to disobey her. 
Promptly at four o’clock that afternoon all the little 
meadow folks were gathered around the foot of the 
Great Pine. Broken-hearted Little Mrs. Ruffed 
Grouse sat beside her empty nest, with all the 
broken shells about her. 

Reddy Fox, Peter Rabbit, Johnny Chuck, Billy 
Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Hooty the 
Owl, Bobby Coon, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow, 
Grandfather Frog, Mr. Toad, Spotty the Turtle, the 
Merry Little Breezes, all were there. Last of all 
came Jimmy Skunk. Very handsome he looked in 
his shining black coat and very sorry he appeared 
that such a dreadful thing should have happened. 
He told Mrs. Grouse how badly he felt, and he 
[ 33 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


loudly demanded that the culprit should be found 
out and severely punished. 

Old Dame Nature has the most smiling face in 
the world, but this time it was very, very grave 
indeed. First she asked little Mrs. Grouse to tell 
her story all over again that all might hear. Then 
each in turn was asked to tell where he had been 
the night before. Johnny Chuck, Happy Jack 
Squirrel, Striped Chipmunk, Sammy Jay and 
Blacky the Crow, had gone to bed when Mr. Sun 
went down behind the Purple Hills. Jerry Musk- 
rat, Billy Mink, Little Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog 
and Spotty the Turtle, had not left the Smiling 
Pool. Bobby Coon had been down in Farmer 
Brown’s cornfield. Hooty the Owl had been hunt- 
ing in the lower end of the Green Meadows. Peter 
Rabbit had been down in the berry patch. Mr. 
Toad had been under the big piece of bark which 
he called a house. Old Dame Nature called on 
Jimmy Skunk last of all. Jimmy protested that 
he had been very, very tired and had gone to bed 


WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 

very early indeed, and had slept the whole night 
through. 

Then Old Dame Nature asked Peter Rabbit what 
he had found among the egg shells that morning. 

Peter Rabbit hopped out and laid three long black 
hairs before Old Dame Nature. “ These,” said Peter 
Rabbit, “are what I found among the egg shells.” 

Then Old Dame Nature called Johnny Chuck. 
“Tell us, Johnny Chuck,” said she, “what you saw 
when you called at Jimmy Skunk’s house this 
morning.” 

“I saw Jimmy Skunk,” said Johnny Chuck, 
“and Jimmy seemed very, very sleepy. It seemed 
to me that his whiskers were yellow.” 

“That will do,” said Old Dame Nature, and then 
she called Old Mother West Wind. 

“What time did you come down on the Green 
Meadows this morning?” asked Old Dame Nature. 

“Just at the break of day,” said Old Mother 
West Wind, “as Mr. Sun was coming up from be- 
hind the Purple Hills.” 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“And whom did you see so early in the morn- 
ing?” asked Old Dame Nature. 

“ I saw Bobby Coon going home from old Farmer 
Brown’s cornfield said Old Mother West Wind. 
“I saw Hooty the Owl coming back from the 
lower end of the Green Meadows. I saw Peter 
Rabbit down in the berry patch. Last of all I 
saw something like a black shadow coming down 
the Lone Little Path toward the house of Jimmy 
Skunk.” 

Everyone was looking very hard at Jimmy 
Skunk. Jimmy began to look very unhappy and 
very uneasy. 

“Who wears a black coat?” asked Dame Nature. 

“Jimmy Skunk!” shouted all the little meadow 
folks. 

“What might make whiskers yellow?” asked 
Old Dame Nature. 

No one seemed to know at first. Then Peter 
Rabbit spoke up. “It might be the yolk of an 
egg,” said Peter Rabbit. 

[36] 











“What might make whiskers yellow?” asked 
Old Dame Nature. Page 36. 










WHY JIMMY SKUNK WEARS STRIPES 

“ Who are likely to be sleepy on a bright sunny 
morning?” asked Old Dame Nature. 

“People who have been out all night,” said 
Johnny Chuck, who himself always goes to bed 
with the sun. 

“Jimmy Skunk,” said Old Dame Nature, and her 
voice was very stern, very stern indeed, and her face 
was very grave, “Jimmy Skunk, I accuse you of 
having broken and eaten the eggs of Mrs. Grouse. 
What have you to say for yourself?” 

Jimmy Skunk hung his head. He hadn’t a 
word to say. He just wanted to sneak away by 
himself. 

“Jimmy Skunk,” said Old Dame Nature, “be- 
cause your handsome black coat of which you are 
so proud has made it possible for you to move about 
in the night without being seen, and because we can 
no longer trust you upon your honor, henceforth you 
and your descendants shall wear a striped coat, 
which is the sign that you cannot be trusted. Your 
coat hereafter shall be black and white, that when 
[ 37 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


you move about in the night you will always be 
visible.” 

And this is why that to this day Jimmy Skunk 
wears a striped suit of black and white. 


V 

THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE 



V 

THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE 


LD MOTHER WEST WIND was 
tired — tired and just a wee bit cross 
— cross because she was tired. She 
had had a very busy day. Ever since 
early morning she had been puffing out the white 
sails of the ships on the big ocean that they might 
go faster; she had kept all the big and little wind 
mills whirling and whirling to pump water for 
thirsty folks and grind corn for hungry folks; she 
had blown away all the smoke from tall chimneys 
and engines and steamboats. Yes, indeed, Old 
Mother West Wind had been very, very busy. 

Now she was coming across the Green Meadows 
on her way to her home behind the Purple Hills, 
and as she came she opened the big bag she carried 
and called to her children, the Merry Little Breezes, 
who had been playing hard on the Green Meadows 
[ 41 ] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


all the long day. One by one they crept into the 
big bag, for they were tired, too, and ready to go to 
their home behind the Purple Hills. 

Pretty soon all were in the bag but one, a wilful 
little Breeze, who was not quite ready to go home; 
he wanted to play just a little longer. He danced 
ahead of Old Mother West Wind. He kissed the 
sleepy daisies. He shook the nodding buttercups. 
He set all the little poplar leaves a dancing, too, and 
he wouldn’t come into the big bag. 

So Old Mother West Wind closed the big bag 
and slung it over her shoulder. Then she started 
on towards her home behind the Purple Hills. 

When she had gone the wilful little Breeze left 
behind suddenly felt very lonely — very lonely in- 
deed! The sleepy daisies didn’t want to play. The 
nodding buttercups were cross. Great round bright 
Mr. Sun, who had been shining and shining all day 
long, went to bed and put on his night cap of golden 
clouds. Black shadows came creeping, creeping out 
into the Green Meadows. 


THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE 


The wilful little Breeze began to wish that he was 
safe in Old Mother West Wind’s big bag with all 
the other Merry Little Breezes. 

So he started across the Green Meadows to find 
the Purple Hills. But all the hills were black now 
and he could not tell which he should look behind 
to find his home with Old Mother West Wind and 
the Merry Little Breezes. How he did wish that 
he had minded Old Mother West Wind. 

By and by he curled up under a bayberry bush 
and tried to go to sleep, but he was lonely, oh, so 
lonely! and he couldn’t go to sleep. Old Mother 
Moon came up and flooded all the Green Meadows 
with light, but it wasn’t like the bright light of jolly 
round Mr. Sun, for it was cold and white and it 
made many black shadows. 

Pretty soon the wilful little Breeze heard Hooty 
the Owl out hunting for a meadow mouse for his 
dinner. Then down the Lone Little Path which 
ran close to the bayberry bush trotted Reddy Fox. 
He was trotting very softly and every minute or so 
[ 43 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


he turned his head and looked behind him to see if 
he was followed. It was plain to see that Reddy 
Fox was bent on mischief. 

When he reached the bayberry bush Reddy Fox 
sat down and barked twice. Hooty the Owl an- 
swered him at once and flew over to join him. They 
didn’t see the wilful little Breeze curled up under 
the bayberry bush, so intent were these two rogues 
in plotting mischief. They were planning to steal 
down across the Green Meadows to the edge of the 
Brown Pasture where Mr. Bob White and pretty 
Mrs. Bob White and a dozen little Bob Whites had 
their home. 

“When they run along the ground I’ll catch ’em, 
and when they fly up in the air you’ll catch ’em and 
we’ll gobble ’em all up,” said Reddy Fox to Hooty 
the Owl. Then he licked his chops and Hooty the 
Owl snapped his bill, just as if they were tasting 
tender little Bob Whites that very minute. It made 
the wilful little Breeze shiver to see them. Pretty 
soon they started on towards the Brown Pasture. 

[ 44 1 


THE WILFUL LITTLE BREEZE 


When they were out of sight the wilful little 
Breeze jumped up and shook himself. Then away 
he sped across the Green Meadows to the Brown 
Pasture. And because he could go faster and be- 
cause he went a shorter way he got there first. He 
had to hunt and hunt to find Mrs. and Mr. Bob 
White and all the little Bob Whites, but finally he 
did find them, all with their heads tucked under 
their wings fast asleep. 

The wilful little Breeze shook Mr. Bob White 
very gently. In an instant he was wide awake. 

“ Sh-h-h,” said the wilful little Breeze. “ Reddy 
Fox and Hooty the Owl are coming to the Brown 
Pasture to gobble up you and Mrs. Bob White and 
all the little Bob Whites.” 

“ Thank you, little Breeze,” said Mr. Bob White, 
“I think I’ll move my family.” 

Then he woke Mrs. Bob White and all the little Bob 
Whites. With Mr. Bob White in the lead away they 
all flew to the far side of the Brown Pasture where 
they were soon safely hidden under a juniper tree. 

[ 45 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


The wilful little Breeze saw them safely there, 
and when they were nicely hidden hurried back to 
the place where the Bob Whites had been sleeping. 
Reddy Fox was stealing up through the grass very, 
very softly. Hooty the Owl was flying as silently 
as a shadow. When Reddy Fox thought he was 
near enough he drew himself together, made a quick 
spring and landed right in Mr. Bob White’s empty 
bed. Reddy Fox and Hooty the Owl looked so sur- 
prised and foolish when they found that the Bob 
Whites were not there that the wilful little Breeze 
nearly laughed out loud. 

Then Reddy Fox and Hooty the Owl hunted here 
and hunted there, all over the Brown Pasture, but 
they couldn’t find the Bob Whites. 

And the wilful little Breeze went back to the 
juniper tree and curled himself up beside Mr. Bob 
White to sleep, for he was lonely no longer. 


I 46 ] 


REDDY FOX GOES FISHING 

































































































































































































































































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VI 

REDDY FOX GOES FISHING 


NE morning when Mr. Sun was very, 
very bright and it was very, very 
warm, down on the Green Meadows 
Reddy Fox came hopping and skip- 
ping down the Lone Little Path that leads to the 
Laughing Brook. Hoppity, skip, skippity hop! 
Reddy felt very much pleased with himself that 
sunny morning. Pretty soon he saw J ohnny Chuck 
sitting up very straight close by the little house 
where he lives. 

“Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck ! Johnny Chuck, 
Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Woodchuck!” called 
Reddy Fox. 

Johnny Chuck pretended not to hear. His 
mother had told him not to play with Reddy Fox, 
for Reddy Fox was a bad boy. 

[ 49 ] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Wood- 
chuck!” called Reddy again. 

This time Johnny turned and looked. He could 
see Reddy Fox turning somersaults and chasing his 
tail and rolling over and over in the little path. 

“Come on!” said Reddy Fox. “Let’s go fish- 
ing!” 

“Can’t,” said Johnny Chuck, because, you know, 
his mother had told him not to play with Reddy 
Fox. 

“ I’ll show you how to catch a fish,” said Reddy 
Fox, and tried to jump over his own shadow. 

“Can’t,” said good little Johnny Chuck again, 
and turned away so that he couldn’t see Reddy Fox 
chasing Butterflies and playing catch with the Field 
Mice children. 

So Reddy Fox went down to the Laughing 
Brook all alone. The Brook was laughing and sing- 
ing on its way to join the Big River. The sky was 
blue and the sun was bright. Reddy Fox jumped 
on the Big Rock in the middle of the Laughing 
[ 5o 1 


REDDY FOX GOES FISHING 


Brook and peeped over the other side. What do 
you think he saw? Why, right down below in a 
Dear Little Pool were Mr. and Mrs. Trout and all 
the little Trouts. 

Reddy Fox wanted some of those little Trouts 
to take home for his dinner, but he didn’t know how 
to catch them. He lay flat down on the Big Rock 
and reached way down into the Dear Little Pool, 
but all the little Trouts laughed at Reddy Fox and 
not one came within reach. Then Mr. Trout swam 
up so quickly that Reddy Fox didn’t see him com- 
ing and bit Reddy’s little black paw hard. 

“Ouch !” cried Reddy Fox, pulling his little black 
paw out of the water. And all the little Trouts 
laughed at Reddy Fox. 

Just then along came Billy Mink. 

“Hello, Reddy Fox!” said Billy Mink. “What 
are you doing here?” 

“ I’m trying to catch a fish,” said Reddy Fox. 

“Pooh! That’s easy!” said Billy Mink. “I’ll 
show you how.” 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


So Billy Mink lay down on the Big Rock side of 
Reddy Fox and peeped over into the Dear Little 
Pool where all the little Trouts were laughing at 
Reddy Fox and having such a good time. But 
Billy Mink took care, such very great care, that Mr. 
Trout and Mrs. Trout should not see him peeping 
over into the Dear Little Pool. 

When Billy Mink saw all those little Trouts play- 
ing in the Dear Little Pool he laughed. “ You count 
three, Reddy Fox,” said he, “and I’ll show you how 
to catch a fish.” 

“One!” said Reddy Fox, “Two! Three!” 

Splash! Billy Mink had dived head first into 
the Dear Little Pool. He spattered water way up 
onto Reddy Fox, and he frightened old Mr. Frog so 
that he fell over backwards off the lily pad, where 
he was taking a morning nap, right into the water. 
In a minute Billy Mink climbed out on the other 
side of the Dear Little Pool and sure enough, he had 
caught one of the little Trouts. 

“ Give it to me,” cried Reddy Fox. 


REDDY FOX GOES FISHING 


“ Catch one yourself,” said Billy Mink. “ Old 
Grandpa Mink wants a fish for his dinner, so I’m 
going to take this home. You’re afraid, Reddy 
Fox ! Fraid-cat ! Fraid-cat ! ” 

Billy Mink shook the water off of his little brown 
coat, picked up the little Trout and ran off home. 

Reddy Fox lay down again on the Big Rock and 
peeped into the Dear Little] Pool. Not a single 
Trout could he see. They were all hiding safely 
with Mr. and Mrs. Trout. Reddy Fox watched and 
watched. The sun was warm, the Laughing Brook 
was singing a lullaby and — what do you think? 
Why, Reddy Fox went fast asleep right on the edge 
of the great Big Rock. 

By and by Reddy Fox began to dream. He 
dreamed that he had a nice little brown coat that 
was waterproof, just like the little brown coat that 
Billy Mink wore. Yes, and he dreamed that he 
had learned to swim and to catch fish just as 
Billy Mink did. He dreamed that the Dear Little 
Pool was full of little Trouts and that he was just 
l 53 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


going to catch one when — splash! Reddy Fox 
had rolled right off of the Big Rock into the Dear 
Little Pool. 

The water went into the eyes of Reddy Fox, and 
it went up his nose and he swallowed so much that 
he felt as if he never, never would want another 
drink of water. And his beautiful red coat, which 
old Mother Fox had told him to be very, very care- 
ful of because he couldn’t have another for a whole 
year, was oh so wet! And his pants were wet and 
his beautiful bushy tail, of which he was so proud, 
was so full of water that he couldn’t hold it up, but 
had to drag it up the bank after him as he crawled 
out of the Dear Little Pool. 

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Mr. Kingfisher, sit- 
ting on a tree. 

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” laughed old Mr. Frog, who 
had climbed back on his lily pad. 

“He! He! He!” laughed all the little Trouts 
and Mr. Trout and Mrs. Trout, swimming round 
and round in the Dear Little Pool. 

[ 54 ] 


REDDY FOX GOES FISHING 


“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! He! He! He!” 
laughed Billy Mink, who had come back to the 
Big Rock just in time to see Reddy Fox tumble in. 

Reddy Fox didn’t say a word, he was so ashamed. 
He just crept up the Lone Little Path to his home, 
dragging his tail, all wet and muddy, behind him, 
and dripping water all the way, 

Johnny Chuck was still sitting by his door as his 
mother had told him to. Reddy Fox tried to go 
past without being seen, but Johnny Chuck’s bright 
little eyes saw him. 

“Where are your fish, Reddy Fox?” called 
Johnny Chuck. 

Reddy Fox said never a word, but walked faster. 

“ Why don’t you turn somersaults, and jump over 
your shadow and chase Butterflies and play with 
the little Field Mice, Reddy Fox?” called Johnny 
Chuck. 

But Reddy Fox just walked faster. When he 
got most home he saw old Mother Fox sitting in 
the doorway with a great big switch across her lap, 
[ 55 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


for Mother Fox had told Reddy Fox not to go near 
the Laughing Brook. 

And this is all I am going to tell you about how 
Reddy Fox went fishing. 


VII 


JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES 




VII 

JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES 


MMY SKUNK opened his eyes very 
early one morning and peeped out of 
his snug little house on the hill. Big, 
round Mr. Sun, with a very red, smil- 
ing face, had just begun to climb up into the sky. 
Old Mother West Wind was just starting down to 
the Green Meadows with her big bag over her 
shoulder. In that bag Jimmy Skunk knew she 
carried all her children, the Merry Little Breezes, 
whom she was taking down to the Green Meadows 
to play and frolic all day. 

“Good morning, Mother West Wind,” said 
Jimmy Skunk, politely. “Did you see any beetles 
as you came down the hill?” 

Old Mother West Wind said, no, she hadn’t seen 
any beetles as she came down the hill. 

“Thank you,” said Jimmy Skunk, politely. “I 
[ 59 ] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


guess I’ll have to go look myself, for I’m very, 
very hungry.” 

So Jimmy Skunk brushed his handsome black 
and white coat, and washed his face and hands, and 
started out to try to find some beetles for his break- 
fast. First he went down to the Green Meadows 
and stopped at J ohnny Chuck’s house. But J ohnny 
Chuck was still in bed and fast asleep. Then 
Jimmy Skunk went over to see if Reddy Fox would 
go with him to help find some beetles for his break- 
fast. But Reddy Fox had been out very, very 
late the night before and he was still in bed fast 
asleep, too. 

So Jimmy Skunk set out all alone along the 
Crooked Little Path up the hill to find some beetles 
for his breakfast. He walked very slowly, for 
Jimmy Skunk never hurries. He stopped and 
peeped under every old log to see if there were any 
beetles. By and by he came to a big piece of bark 
beside the Crooked Little Path. Jimmy Skunk 
took hold of the piece of bark with his two little 


JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES 

black paws and pulled and pulled. All of a sudden, 
the big piece of bark turned over so quickly that 
Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his back. 

When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his 
feet again, there sat old Mr. Toad right in the path, 
and old Mr. Toad was very, very cross indeed. He 
swelled and he puffed and he puffed and he swelled, 
till he was twice as big as Jimmy Skunk had ever 
seen him before. 

“Good morning, Mr. Toad,” said Jimmy Skunk. 
“Have you seen any beetles?” 

But Mr. Toad blinked his great round goggly 
eyes and he said: 

“What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling 
the roof off my house?” 

“Is that the roof of your house?” asked Jimmy 
Skunk, politely. “ I won’t do it again.” 

Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over old Mr. 
Toad, and went on up the Crooked Little Path to 
look for some beetles. 

By and by he came to an old stump of a tree 
[ 61 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


which was hollow and had the nicest little round 
hole in one side. Jimmy Skunk took hold of one 
edge with his two little black paws and pulled and 
pulled. All of a sudden the whole side of the old 
stump tore open and Jimmy Skunk fell flat on his 
back. 

When Jimmy Skunk had rolled over onto his feet 
again there was Striped Chipmunk hopping up and 
down right in the middle of the path, he was so 
angry. 

“Good morning, Striped Chipmunk,” said Jimmy 
Skunk. “ Have you seen any beetles?” 

But Striped Chipmunk hopped faster than ever 
and he said: 

“What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk, by pulling 
the side off my house?” 

“Is that the side of your house?” asked Jimmy 
Skunk, politely. “ I won’t do it again.” 

Then Jimmy Skunk stepped right over Striped 
Chipmunk, and went on up the Crooked Little Path 
to look for some beetles. 


JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES 

Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit hopping along 
down the Crooked Little Path. “Good morning, 
Jimmy Skunk, where are you going so early in the 
morning?” said Peter Rabbit. 

“Good morning, Peter Rabbit. Have you seen 
any beetles?” asked Jimmy Skunk, politely. 

“ No, I haven’t seen any beetles, but I’ll help you 
find some,” said Peter Rabbit. So he turned about 
and hopped ahead of Jimmy Skunk up the Crooked 
Little Path. 

Now because Peter Rabbit’s legs are long and he 
is always in a hurry, he got to the top of the hill 
first. When Jimmy Skunk reached the end of the 
Crooked Little Path on the top of the hill he found 
Peter Rabbit sitting up very straight and looking 
and looking very hard at a great flat stone. 

“ What are you looking at, Peter Rabbit?” asked 
Jimmy Skunk. 

“Sh-h-h!” said Peter Rabbit, “I think there are 
some beetles under that great flat stone where that 
little black string is sticking out. Now when I 
[ 63 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


count three you grab that string and pull hard; 
perhaps you’ll find a beetle at the other end.” 

So Jimmy Skunk got ready and Peter Rabbit 
began to count. 

“One! ’’said Peter. “Two!” said Peter. “Three!” 

Jimmy Skunk grabbed the black string and pulled 
as hard as ever he could and out came — Mr. Black 
Snake! The string Jimmy Skunk had pulled was 
Mr. Black Snake’s tail, and Mr. Black Snake was 
very, very angry indeed. 

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Peter Rabbit. 

“What do you mean, Jimmy Skunk,” said Mr. 
Black Snake, “by pulling my tail?” 

“Was that your tail?” said Jimmy Skunk, po- 
litely. “ I won’t do it again. Have you seen any 
beetles?” 

But Mr. Black Snake hadn’t seen any beetles and 
he was so cross that Jimmy Skunk went on over the 
hill to look for some beetles. 

Peter Rabbit was still laughing and laughing and 
laughing. And the more he laughed the angrier 
[64I 


JIMMY SKUNK LOOKS FOR BEETLES 

grew Mr. Black Snake, till finally he started after 
Peter Rabbit to teach him a lesson. 

Then Peter Rabbit stopped laughing, for Mr. 
Black Snake can run very fast. Away went Peter 
Rabbit down the Crooked Little Path as fast as he 
could go, and away went Mr. Black Snake after him. 

But Jimmy Skunk didn’t even look once to see 
if Mr. Black Snake had caught Peter Rabbit, for 
Jimmy Skunk had found some beetles and was eat- 
ing his breakfast. 


[ 65 1 




BILLY MINK’S SWIMMING PARTY 






VIII 

BILLY MINK’S SWIMMING PARTY 


if MINK was coming down the 
k of the Laughing Brook. Billy 
lk was feeling very good indeed, 
had had a good breakfast, the sun 
was warm, little white cloud-ships were sailing 
across the blue sky and their shadows were sailing 
across the Green Meadows, the birds were singing 
and the bees were humming. Billy Mink felt like 
singing too, but Billy Mink’s voice was not meant 
for singing. 

By and by Billy Mink came to the Smiling Pool. 
Here the Laughing Brook stopped and rested on its 
way to join the Big River. It stopped its noisy 
laughing and singing and just lay smiling and smil- 
ing in the warm sunshine. The little flowers on the 
bank leaned over and nodded to it. The beech tree, 
which was very old, sometimes dropped a leaf into 
[69] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


it. The cat-tails kept their feet cool in the edge 
of it 

Billy Mink jumped out on the Big Rock and 
looked down into the Smiling Pool. Over on a 
green lily pad he saw old Grandfather Frog. 

“Hello, Grandfather Frog,” said Billy Mink. 

“ Hello, Billy Mink,” said Grandfather Frog. 
“What mischief are you up to this fine sunny 
morning?” 

Just then Billy Mink saw a little brown head 
swimming along one edge of the Smiling Pool. 

“Hello, Jerry Muskrat!” shouted Billy Mink. 

“ Hello your own self, Billy Mink,” shouted Jerry 
Muskrat, “Come in and have a swim; the water’s 
fine!” 

“Good,” said Billy Mink. “We’ll have a swim- 
ming party.” 

So Billy Mink called all the Merry Little Breezes 
of Old Mother West Wind, who were playing with 
the flowers on the bank, and sent them to find Little 
Joe Otter and invite him to come to the swimming 
[ 70 1 


BILLY MINK’S SWIMMING PARTY 


party. Pretty soon back came the Little Breezes 
and with them came Little Joe Otter. 

“Hello, Billy Mink,” said Little Joe Otter. 
“Here lam!” 

“Hello, Little Joe Otter,” said Billy Mink. 

“Come up here on the Big Rock and see who 
can dive the deepest into the Smiling Pool.” 

So Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat climbed 
up on the Big Rock side of Billy Mink and 
they all stood side by side in their little brown 
bathing suits, looking down into the Smiling 
Pool. 

“ Now when I count three we’ll all dive into the 
Smiling Pool together and see who can dive the 
deepest. One!” said Billy Mink. “Two!” said 
Billy Mink. “Three!” said Billy Mink. 

And when he said “Three” in they all went head 
first. My, such a splash as they did make! They 
upset old Grandfather Frog so that he fell off his 
lily pad. They frightened Mr. and Mrs. Trout so 
that they jumped right out of the water. Tiny 
[ 71 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Tadpole had such a scare that he hid way, way 
down in the mud with only the tip of his funny 
little nose sticking out. 

“ Chug-a-rum,” said old Grandfather Frog, climb- 
ing out on his lily pad. “ If I wasn’t so old I would 
show you how to dive.” 

“ Come on, Grandfather Frog!” cried Billy Mink. 
“Show us how to dive.” 

And what do you think? Why, old Grandfather 
Frog actually got so excited that he climbed up on 
the Big Rock to show them how to dive. Splash! 
went Grandfather Frog into the Smiling Pool. 
Splash! went Billy Mink right behind him. Splash! 
Splash! went Little Joe Otter and Jerry Muskrat, 
right at Billy Mink’s heels. 

“Hurrah!” shouted Mr. Kingfisher, sitting on a 
branch of the old beech tree. And then just to 
show them that he could dive, too, splash! he went 
into the Smiling Pool. 

Such a noise as they did make! All the Little 
Breezes of Old Mother West Wind danced for joy 
[ 72 ] 


BILLY MINK’S SWIMMING PARTY 


on the bank. Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay 
flew over to see what was going on. 

“ Now let’s see who can swim the farthest under 
water,” cried Billy Mink. 

So they all stood side by side on one edge of the 
Smiling Pool. 

“Go!” shouted Mr. Kingfisher, and in they all 
plunged. Little ripples ran across the Smiling Pool 
and then the water became as smooth and smiling 
as if nothing had gone into it with a plunge. 

Now old Grandfather Frog began to realize that 
he wasn’t as young as he used to be, and he couldn’t 
swim as fast as the others anyway. He began to 
get short of breath, so he swam up to the top and 
stuck just the tip of his nose out to get some more 
air. Sammy Jay’s sharp eyes saw him. 

“ There’s Grandfather Frog ! ” he shouted. 

So then Grandfather Frog popped his head out 
and swam over to his green lily pad to rest. 

Way over beyond the Big Rock little bubbles in 
three long rows kept coming up to the top of the 
[ 73 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Smiling Pool. They showed just where Billy 
Mink, Little Joe Otter, and Jerry Muskrat were 
swimming way down out of sight. It was the air 
from their lungs making the bubbles. Straight 
across the Smiling Pool went the lines of little bub- 
bles and then way out on the farther side two little 
heads bobbed out of water close together. They 
were Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. A moment 
later Jerry Muskrat bobbed up beside them. 

You see they had swum clear across the Smiling 
Pool and of course they could swim no farther. 

So Billy Mink’s swimming party was a great 


success. 


IX 

PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE 





V 




IX 

PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE 


IE morning when big round Mr. Sun 
was climbing up in the sky and Old 
Mother West Wind had sent all her 
Merry Little Breezes to play in the 
Green Meadows, Johnny Chuck started out for a 
walk. First he sat up very straight and looked 
and looked all around to see if Reddy Fox was any- 
where about, for you know Reddy Fox liked to 
tease Johnny Chuck. 

But Reddy Fox was nowhere to be seen, so 
Johnny Chuck trotted down the Lone Little Path 
to the wood. Mr. Sun was shining as brightly as 
ever he could and Johnny Chuck, who was very, 
very fat, grew very, very warm. By and by he 
sat down on the end of a log under a big tree to 
rest. 

Thump! Something hit Johnny Chuck right on 
[ 77 1 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


the top of his round little head. It made Johnny 
Chuck jump. 

“ Hello, Johnny Chuck! ” said a voice that seemed 
to come right out of the sky. Johnny Chuck tipped 
his head way, way back and looked up. He was 
just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel drop a nut. 
Down it came and hit Johnny Chuck right on the 
tip of his funny, black, little nose. 

“Oh!” said Johnny Chuck, and tumbled right 
over back off the log. But Johnny Chuck was so 
round and so fat and so roly-poly that it didn’t hurt 
him a bit. 

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Happy Jack up in 
the tree. 

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Johnny Chuck, pick- 
ing himself up. Then they both laughed together, it 
was such a good joke. 

“What are you laughing at?” asked a voice 
so close to Johnny Chuck that he rolled over 
three times he was so surprised. It was Peter 
Rabbit. 



He was just in time to see Happy Jack Squirrel 
drop a nut. Page 78. 



PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE 

“What are you doing in my wood?” asked Peter 
Rabbit. 

“I’m taking a walk” said Johnny Chuck. 

“Good,” said Peter Rabbit, “I’ll come along too.” 

So Johnny Chuck and Peter Rabbit set out along 
the Lone Little Path through the wood. Peter 
Rabbit hopped along with great big jumps, for 
Peter’s legs are long and meant for jumping, but 
Johnny Chuck couldn’t keep up though he tried 
very hard, for Johnny’s legs are short. Pretty soon 
Peter Rabbit came back, walking very softly. He 
whispered in Johnny Chuck’s ear. 

“ I’ve found something,” said Peter Rabbit. 

“What is it?” asked Johnny Chuck. 

“I’ll show you,” said Peter Rabbit, “but you 
must be very, very still, and not make the least 
little bit of noise.” 

Johnny Chuck promised to be very, very still for 
he wanted very much to see what Peter Rabbit had 
found. Peter Rabbit tip-toed down the Lone Little 
Path through the wood, his funny long ears point- 
[ 79 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


ing right up to the sky. And behind him tip-toed 
Johnny Chuck, wondering and wondering what it 
could be that Peter Rabbit had found. 

Pretty soon they came to a nice mossy green log 
right across the Lone Little Path. Peter Rabbit 
stopped and sat up very straight. He looked this 
way and looked that way. Johnny Chuck stopped 
too and he sat up very straight and looked this 
way and looked that way, but all he could see 
was the mossy green log across the Lone Little 
Path. 

“What is it, Peter Rabbit?” whispered Johnny 
Chuck. 

“You can’t see it yet,” whispered Peter Rabbit, 
“for first we have to jump over that mossy green 
log. Now I’ll jump first, and then you jump just 
the way I do, and then you’ll see what it is I’ve 
found,” said Peter Rabbit. 

So Peter Rabbit jumped first, and because his 
legs are long and meant for jumping, he jumped 
way, way over the mossy green log. Then he 
[ 80 ] 


PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE 

turned around and sat up to see Johnny Chuck 
jump over the mossy green log, too. 

Johnny Chuck tried to jump very high and very 
far, just as he had seen Peter Rabbit jump, but 
Johnny Chuck’s legs are very short and not meant 
for jumping. Besides, Johnny Chuck was very, 
very fat. So though he tried very hard indeed to 
jump just like Peter Rabbit, he stubbed his toes on 
the top of the mossy green log and over he tum- 
bled, head first, and landed with a great big thump 
right on Reddy Fox, who was lying fast asleep on 
the other side of the mossy green log. 

Peter Rabbit laughed and laughed until he had 
to hold his sides. 

My, how frightened Johnny Chuck was when he 
saw what he had done ! Before he could get on his 
feet he had rolled right over behind a little bush, 
and there he lay very, very still. 

Reddy Fox awoke with a grunt when Johnny 
Chuck fell on him so hard, and the first thing he 
saw was Peter Rabbit laughing so that he had to 
[ 81 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


hold his sides. Reddy Fox didn’t stop to look 
around. He thought that Peter Rabbit had jumped 
on him. Up jumped Reddy Fox and away ran 
Peter Rabbit. Away went Reddy Fox after Peter 
Rabbit. Peter dodged behind the trees, and j umped 
over the bushes, and ran this way and ran that way, 
just as hard as ever he could, for Peter Rabbit was 
very much afraid of Reddy Fox. And Reddy Fox 
followed Peter Rabbit behind the trees and over the 
bushes this way and that way, but he couldn’t catch 
Peter Rabbit. Pretty soon Peter Rabbit came to 
the house of Jimmy Skunk. He knew that Jimmy 
Skunk was over in the pasture, so he popped right 
in and then he was safe, for the door of Jimmy 
Skunk’s house was too small for Reddy Fox to 
squeeze in. Reddy Fox sat down and waited, but 
Peter Rabbit didn’t come out. By and by Reddy 
Fox gave it up and trotted off home where old 
Mother Fox was waiting for him. 

All this time Johnny Chuck had sat very still, 
watching Reddy Fox try to catch Peter Rabbit. 

I 82 ] 



Reddy Fox sat down and waited, but Peter Rabbit ‘ 
didn\ come out. Page 82 . 






» 















PETER RABBIT PLAYS A JOKE 

And when he saw Peter Rabbit pop into the house 
of Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox trot away home, 
Johnny Chuck stood up and brushed his little coat 
very clean and then he trotted back up the Lone 
Little Path through the wood to his own dear little 
path through the Green Meadows where the Merry 
Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind were still 
playing, till he was safe in his own snug little home 


once more. 





HOW SAMMY JAY WAS FOUND OUT 



















% 










% 










X 

HOW SAMMY JAY WAS FOUND OUT 



| AM MY JAY was very busy, very busy 
indeed. When anyone happened that 
way Sammy Jay pretended to be doing 
nothing at all, for Sammy Jay thought 
himself a very fine gentleman. He was very proud 
of his handsome blue coat with white trimmings and 
his high cap, and he would sit on a fence post and 
make fun of Johnny Chuck working at a new door for 
his snug little home in the Green Meadows, and of 
Striped Chipmunk storing up heaps of corn and nuts 
for the winter, for most of the time Sammy Jay was 
an idle fellow. And when Sammy Jay was busy, he 
was pretty sure to be doing something he ought not 
to do, for idle people almost always get into mischief. 

Sammy Jay was in mischief now, and that is why 
he pretended to be doing nothing when he thought 
anyone was looking. 

[ 87 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Old Mother West Wind had come down from her 
home behind the Purple Hills very early that morn- 
ing. Indeed, jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had hardly 
gotten out of bed when she crossed the Green Mead- 
ows on her way to help the big ships across the 
ocean. Old Mother West Wind’s eyes were sharp, 
and she saw Sammy Jay before Sammy Jay saw her. 

“Now what can Sammy Jay be so busy about, 
and why is he so very, very quiet?” thought Old 
Mother West Wind. “He must be up to some 
mischief.” 

So when she opened her big bag and turned out 
all her Merry Little Breezes to play on the Green 
Meadows she sent one of them to see what Sammy 
Jay was doing in the old chestnut tree. The Merry 
Little Breeze danced along over the tree tops just 
as if he hadn’t a thought in the world but to wake 
up all the little leaves and set them to dancing too, 
and Sammy Jay, watching Old Mother West Wind 
and the other Merry Little Breezes, didn’t see this 
Merry Little Breeze at all. 

[ 88 ] 


SAMMY JAY FOUND OUT 

Pretty soon it danced back to Old Mother West 
Wind and whispered in her ear: “Sammy Jay is 
stealing the nuts Happy Jack Squirrel had hidden 
in the hollow of the old chestnut tree, and is hiding 
them for himself in the tumble down nest that 
Blacky the Crow built in the Great Pine last year.” 
“Aha!” said Old Mother West Wind. Then she 
went on across the Green Meadows. 

“ Good morning, Old Mother West Wind,” said 
Sammy Jay as she passed the fence post where he 
was sitting. 

“Good morning, Sammy Jay,” said Old Mother 
West Wind. “ What brings you out so early in the 
morning?” 

“Pm out for my health, Old Mother West Wind,” 
said Sammy Jay politely. “ The doctor has ordered 
me to take a bath in the dew at sunrise every 
morning.” 

Old Mother West Wind said nothing, but went 
on her way across the Green Meadows to blow the 
ships across the ocean. When she had passed, 
[89) 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Sammy Jay hurried to take the last of Happy 
Jack’s nuts to the old nest in the Great Pine. 

Poor Happy Jack ! Soon he came dancing along 
with another nut to put in the hollow of the old 
chestnut tree. When he peeped in and saw that 
all his big store of nuts had disappeared he couldn’t 
believe his own eyes. He put in one paw and felt 
all around but not a nut could he feel. Then he 
climbed in and sure enough, the hollow was empty. 

Poor Happy Jack ! There were tears in his eyes 
when he crept out again. He looked all around but 
no one was to be seen but handsome Sammy Jay, 
very busy brushing his beautiful blue coat. 

“Good morning, Sammy Jay, have you seen any- 
one pass this way? ” asked Happy J ack. “ Someone 
has stolen my store of nuts from the hollow in the 
old chestnut tree.” 

Sammy Jay pretended to feel very badly in- 
deed, and in his sweetest voice, for his voice was 
very sweet in those days, he offered to help 
Happy Jack try to catch the thief who had stolen 
[ 90 ] 


SAMMY JAY FOUND OUT 

the store of nuts from the hollow in the old chest- 
nut tree. 

Together they went down across the Green Mead- 
ows asking everyone whom they met if they had 
seen the thief who had stolen Happy Jack’s store of 
nuts from the hollow in the old chestnut tree. All 
the Merry Little Breezes joined in the search, and 
soon everyone who lived in the Green Meadows or 
in the wood knew that someone had stolen all of 
Happy Jack Squirrel’s store of nuts from the hollow 
in the old chestnut tree. And because everyone 
liked Happy Jack, everyone felt very sorry indeed 
for him. 

The next morning all the Merry Little Breezes 
of Old Mother West Wind were turned out of the 
big bag into the Green Meadows very early indeed, 
for they had a lot of errands to do. All over the 
Green Meadows they hurried, all through the wood, 
up and down the Laughing Brook and all around 
the Smiling Pool, inviting everybody to meet at the 
Great Pine on the hill at nine o’clock to form a com- 
[ 9i 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


mittee of the whole — that’s what Old Mother West 
Wind called it — a committee of the whole — to try 
to find the thief who stole Happy Jack’s nuts from 
the hollow in the old chestnut tree. 

And because everyone liked Happy Jack every- 
one went to the Great Pine on the hill — Reddy 
Fox, Bobby Coon, Jimmy Skunk, Striped Chip- 
munk, who is Happy Jack’s cousin you know, Billy 
Mink, Little Joe Otter, Jerry Muskrat, Hooty the 
Owl, who was almost too sleepy to keep his eyes 
open, Blacky the Crow, Johnny Chuck, Peter Rabbit, 
even old Grandfather Frog. Of course Sammy Jay 
was there, looking his handsomest. 

When they had all gathered around the Great 
Pine, Old Mother West Wind pointed to the old 
nest way up in the top of it. “Is that your nest?” 
she asked Blacky the Crow. 

“ It was, but I gave it to my cousin, Sammy Jay,” 
said Blacky the Crow. 

“ Is that your nest, and may I have a stick out of 
it?” asked Old Mother West Wind of Sammy Jay. 

[ 92 ] 


SAMMY JAY FOUND OUT 

“It is,” said Sammy Jay, with his politest bow, 
“and you are welcome to a stick out of it.” To 
himself he thought, “ She will only take one from 
the top and that won’t matter.” 

Old Mother West Wind suddenly puffed out her 
cheeks and blew so hard that she blew a big stick 
right out of the bottom of the old nest. Down it 
fell bumpity-bump on the branches of the Great 
Pine. After it fell — what do you think? Why, 
hickory nuts and chestnuts and acorns and hazel 
nuts, such a lot of them ! 

“Why! Why-e-e!” cried Happy Jack. “There 
are all my stolen nuts!” 

Everybody turned to look at Sammy Jay, but he 
was flying off through the wood as fast as he could 
go. “Stop thief!” cried Old Mother West Wind. 
“Stop thief!” cried all the Merry Little Breezes and 
Johnny Chuck and Billy Mink and all the rest. 
But Sammy Jay didn’t stop. 

Then all began to pick up the nuts that had fallen 
from the old nest where Sammy Jay had hidden 
[ 93 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


them. By and by, with Happy Jack leading the 
way, they all marched back to the old chestnut tree 
and there Happy Jack stored all the nuts away in 
his snug little hollow once more. 

And ever since that day, Sammy Jay, whenever 
he tries to call, just screams: “Thief!” “Thief!” 
“Thief!” 


XI 


JERRY MUSKRAT’S PARTY 





XI 

JERRY MUSKRATS PARTY 


,L the Merry Little Breezes of Old 
Mother West Wind were hurrying 
over the Green Meadows. Some flew 
this way and some ran that way and 
some danced the other way. You see Jerry Musk- 
rat had asked them to carry his invitations to a 
party at the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool. 

Of course everyone said that they would be de- 
lighted to go to Jerry Muskrat’s party. Round 
Mr. Sun shone his very brightest. The sky was 
its bluest and the little birds had promised to be 
there to sing for Jerry Muskrat, so of course all the 
little folks in the Green Meadow and in the wood 
wanted to go. 

There were Johnny Chuck and Reddy Fox and 
Jimmy Skunk and Bobby Coon and Happy Jack 
Squirrel and Striped Chipmunk and Billy Mink and 
[ 97 1 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Little Joe Otter and Grandfather Frog and old 
Mr. Toad and Mr. Blacksnake — all going to Jerry- 
Muskrat’s party. 

When they reached the Smiling Pool they found 
Jerry Muskrat all ready. His brothers and his sis- 
ters, his aunts and his uncles and his cousins were 
all there. Such a merry, merry time as there was 
in the Smiling Pool! How the water did splash. 
Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter and Grandfather 
Frog jumped right in as soon as they got there. 
They played tag in the water and hide and seek be- 
hind the Big Rock. They turned somersaults down 
the slippery slide and they had such a good time! 

But Reddy Fox and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon and Johnny Chuck and Jimmy Skunk and 
Happy Jack and Striped Chipmunk couldn’t swim, 
so of course they couldn’t play tag in the water or 
hide and seek or go down the slippery slide; all they 
could do was sit around to look on and wish that 
they knew how to swim, too. So of course they 
didn’t have a good time. Soon they began to wish 

I 98 1 


JERRY MUSKRAT’S PARTY 

that they hadn’t come to Jerry Muskrat’s party. 
When he found that they were not having a good 
time, poor Jerry Muskrat felt very badly indeed. 
You see he lives in the water so much that he had 
quite forgotten that there was any one who couldn’t 
swim, or he never, never would have invited all the 
little meadow folks who live on dry land. 

“Let’s go home,” said Peter Rabbit to Johnny 
Chuck. 

“We can have more fun up on the hill,” said 
Jimmy Skunk. 

Just then Little Joe Otter came pushing a great 
big log across the Smiling Pool. 

“Here’s a ship, Bobby Coon. You get on one 
end and I’ll give you a sail across the Smiling 
Pool,” shouted Little Joe Otter. 

So Bobby Coon crawled out on the big log and 
held on very tight, while little Joe Otter swam be- 
hind and pushed the big log. Across the Smiling 
Pool they went and back again. Bobby Coon had 
such a good ride that he wanted to go again, but 
1 99 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Jimmy Skunk wanted a ride. So Bobby Coon 
hopped off of the big log and Jimmy Skunk hopped 
on and away he went across the Smiling Pool with 
little Joe Otter pushing behind. 

Then Jerry Muskrat found another log and gave 
Peter Rabbit a ride. Jerry Muskrat’s brothers and 
sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins found logs 
and took Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck and even 
Mr. Toad back and forth across the Smiling Pool. 

Happy Jack Squirrel sat up very straight on the 
end of his log and spread his great bushy tail for a 
sail. All the little Breezes blew and blew and 
Happy Jack Squirrel sailed round and round the 
Smiling Pool. 

Sometimes some one would fall off into the water 
and get wet, but Jerry Muskrat or Billy Mink al- 
ways pulled him out again, and no one cared the 
tiniest bit for a wetting. 

In the bushes around the Smiling Pool the little 
birds sang and sang. Reddy Fox barked his loud- 
est. Happy Jack Squirrel chattered and chir-r-r-ed. 
[ ioo ] 


Sometimes some one would fall off into the water 
and get wet. Page 100. 



5§? ' .«iM 




% 






JERRY MUSKRAT’S PARTY 

All the muskrats squealed and squeaked, for Jerry- 
Muskrat’s party was such fun ! 

By and by when Mr. Sun went down behind the 
Purple Hills to his home and Old Mother West 
Wind with all her Merry Little Breezes went after 
him, and the little stars came out to twinkle and 
twinkle, the Smiling Pool lay all quiet and still, but 
smiling and smiling to think what a good time every- 
one had had at Jerry Muskrat’s party. 


[ ioi ] 




« 


XII 

BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX 
PLAY TRICKS 



XII 


BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX 
PLAY TRICKS 

' was night. All the little stars were 
looking down and twinkling and twink- 
ling. Mother Moon was doing her 
best to make the Green Meadows as 
light as Mr. Sun did in the daytime. All the little 
birds except Hooty the Owl and Boomer the Night 
Hawk, and noisy Mr. Whip-poor-will were fast asleep 
in their little nests. Old Mother West Wind’s 
Merry Little Breezes had all gone to sleep, too. It 
was oh, so still ! Indeed it was so very still that 
Bobby Coon, coming down the Lone Little Path 
through the wood, began to talk to himself. 

“I don’t see what people want to play all 
day and sleep all night for,” said Bobby Coon. 
“Night’s the best time to be about. Now Reddy 
Fox—” 



I 105 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“Be careful what you say about Reddy Fox,” 
said a voice right behind Bobby Coon. 

Bobby Coon turned around very quickly indeed, 
for he had thought he was all alone. There was 
Reddy Fox himself, trotting down the Lone Little 
Path through the wood. 

“ I thought you were home and fast asleep, Reddy 
Fox,” said Bobby Coon. 

“You were mistaken,” said Reddy Fox, “for you 
see I’m out to take a walk in the moonlight.” 

So Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox walked together 
down the Lone Little Path through the wood to the 
Green Meadows. They met Jimmy Skunk, who 
had dreamed that there were a lot of beetles up on 
the hill, and was just going to climb the Crooked 
Little Path to see. 

“Hello, Jimmy Skunk!” said Bobby Coon and 
Reddy Fox. “Come down to the Green Meadows 
with us.” 

Jimmy Skunk said he would, so they all went 
down on the Green Meadows together, Bobby Coon 
[ 106 ] 



Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox pulled and tugged 
and tugged and pulled. Page 107. 






BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX 


first, Reddy Fox next and Jimmy Skunk last of all, 
for Jimmy Skunk never hurries. Pretty soon they 
came to the house of Johnny Chuck. 

“Listen,” said Bobby Coon, “Johnny Chuck is 
fast asleep.” 

They all listened and they could hear Johnny 
Chuck snoring away down in his snug little bed. 

“Let’s give Johnny Chuck a surprise,” said 
Reddy Fox. 

“ What shall it be ? ” asked Bobby Coon. 

“ I know,” said Reddy Fox. “ Let’s roll that big 
stone right over Johnny Chuck’s doorway; then 
he’ll have to dig his way out in the morning.” 

So Bobby Coon and Reddy Fox pulled and 
tugged and tugged and pulled at the big stone till 
they had rolled it over Johnny Chuck’s doorway. 
Jimmy Skunk pretended not to see what they were 
doing. 

“ Now let’s go down to the Laughing Brook and 
wake up old Grandfather Frog and hear him say 
4 Chug-a-rum,’ ” said Bobby Coon. 

[ 107 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“Come on!” cried Reddy Fox, “I’ll get there 
first!” 

Away raced Reddy Fox down the Lone Little 
Path and after him ran Bobby Coon, going to wake 
old Grandfather Frog from a nice comfortable sleep 
# on his green lily pad. 

But Jimmy Skunk didn’t go. He watched Reddy 
Fox and Bobby Coon until they were nearly to the 
Laughing Brook. Then he began to dig at one side 
of the big stone which filled the doorway of Johnny 
Chuck’s house. My, how he made the dirt fly! 
Pretty soon he had made a hole big enough to call 
through to Johnny Chuck, who was snoring away, 
fast asleep in his snug little bed below. 

“Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck! Johnny Wood- 
chuck!” called Jimmy Skunk. 

But Johnny Chuck just snored. 

“ Johnny Chuck, Chuck, Chuck ! Johnny Wood- 
chuck!” called Jimmy Skunk once more. 

But Johnny Chuck just snored. Then Jimmy 
Skunk called again, this time louder than before. 

[ 108 ] 


BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX 


“Who is it?” asked a very sleepy voice. 

“ It’s Jimmy Skunk. Put your coat on and come 
up here!” called Jimmy Skunk. 

“Go away, Jimmy Skunk. I want to sleep!” 
said Johnny Chuck. 

“I’ve got a surprise for you, Johnny Chuck. 
You’d better come!” called Jimmy Skunk through 
the little hole he had made. When Johnny Chuck 
heard that Jimmy Skunk had a surprise for him he 
wanted to know right away what it could be, so 
though he was very, very sleepy, he put on his coat 
and started up for his door to see what the surprise 
was that Jimmy Skunk had. And there he found 
the big stone Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon had put 
there, and of course he was very much surprised 
indeed. He thought Jimmy Skunk had played him 
a mean trick and for a few minutes he was very 
mad. But Jimmy Skunk soon told him who had 
filled up his doorway with the big stone. 

“Now you push from that side, Johnny Chuck, 
and I’ll pull from this side, and we’ll soon have 
[ i°9 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


this big stone out of your doorway,” said Jimmy 
Skunk. 

So Johnny Chuck pushed and Jimmy Skunk 
pulled, and sure enough they soon had the big stone 
out of Johnny Chuck’s doorway. 

“Now,” said Jimmy Skunk, “we’ll roll this big 
stone down the Lone Little Path to Reddy Fox’s 
house and we’ll give Reddy Fox a surprise.” 

So Johnny Chuck and Jimmy Skunk tugged 
and pulled and rolled the big stone down to the 
house of Reddy Fox, and sure enough, it filled his 
doorway. 

“ Good night, Jimmy Skunk,” said Johnny Chuck, 
and trotted down the Lone Little Path toward home, 
chuckling to himself all the way. 

Jimmy Skunk walked slowly up the Lone Little 
Path to the wood, for J immy Skunk never hurries. 
Pretty soon he came to the big hollow tree where 
Bobby Coon lives, and there he met Hooty the OwL 

“Hello, Jimmy Skunk, where have you been?” 
asked Hooty the Owl. 

[ no ] 


BOBBY COON AND REDDY FOX 


“Just for a walk,” said Jimmy Skunk. “Who 
lives in this big hollow tree?” 

Now of course Jimmy Skunk knew all the time, 
but he pretended he didn’t. 

“Oh, this is Bobby Coon’s house,” said Hooty 
the Owl. 

“ Let’s give Bobby Coon a surprise,” said Jimmy 
Skunk. 

“How?” asked Hooty the Owl. 

“We’ll fill his house full of sticks and leaves,” 
said Jimmy Skunk. 

Hooty the Owl thought that would be a good joke, 
so while Jimmy Skunk gathered all the old sticks 
and leaves he could find, Hooty the Owl stuffed 
them into the old hollow tree, which was Bobby 
Coon’s house, until he couldn’t get in another one. 

“ Good night,” said Jimmy Skunk as he began to 
climb the Crooked Little Path up the hill to his own 
snug little home. 

“Good night,” said Hooty the Owl, as he flew 
like a big soft shadow over to the Great Pine. 

[ in 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


By and by when old Mother Moon was just going 
to bed and all the little stars were too sleepy to 
twinkle any longer, Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon, 
very tired and very wet from playing in the Laugh- 
ing Brook, came up the Lone Little Path, ready to 
tumble into their snug little beds. They were 
chuckling over the trick they had played on Johnny 
Chuck, and the way they had waked up old Grand- 
father Frog, and all the other mischief they had 
done. What do you suppose they said when they 
reached their homes and found that someone else 
had been playing jokes, too? 

I’m sure I don’t know, but round, red Mr. Sun 
was laughing very hard as he peeped over the hill 
at Reddy Fox and Bobby Coon, and he won’t tell 
why. 


[ 112 ] 


XIII 

JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST 
THING IN THE WORLD 





XIII 


JOHNNY CHUCK FINDS THE BEST 
THING IN THE WORLD 

E^S^jjOLD MOTHER WEST WIND had 
a hki 1 st0 PP e d to talk with the Slender Fir 

“ I’ve just come across the Green 
Meadows,” said Old Mother West Wind, “and there 
I saw the Best Thing in the World.” 

Striped Chipmunk was sitting under the Slender 
Fir Tree and he couldn’t help hearing what Old 
Mother West Wind said. “ The Best Thing in the 
World — now what can that be?” thought Striped 
Chipmunk. “Why it must be heaps and heaps 
of nuts and acorns! I’ll go and find it.” 

So Striped Chipmunk started down the Lone 
Little Path through the wood as fast as he could 
run. Pretty soon he met Peter Rabbit. 

[ ns 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“Where are you going in such a hurry, Striped 
Chipmunk?” asked Peter Rabbit 

“ Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World,” replied Striped Chipmunk, 
and ran faster. 

“ The Best Thing in the World,” said Peter Rab- 
bit, “ why, that must be a great pile of carrots and 
cabbage! I think I’ll go and find it.” 

So Peter Rabbit started down the Lone Little 
Path through the wood as fast as he could go after 
Striped Chipmunk. 

As they passed the great hollow tree Bobby Coon 
put his head out. “Where are you going in such 
a hurry?” asked Bobby Coon. 

“ Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World!” shouted Striped Chipmunk 
and Peter Rabbit, and both began to run faster. 

“The Best Thing in the World,” said Bobby 
Coon to himself, “why, that must be a whole field 
of sweet milky corn. I think I’ll go and find it.” 

So Bobby Coon climbed down out of the great 

[ n6 ] 


THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD 


hollow tree and started down the Lone Little Path 
through the wood as fast as he could go after Striped 
Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit, for there is nothing 
that Bobby Coon likes to eat so well as sweet milky 
corn. 

At the edge of the wood they met Jimmy Skunk. 

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” asked 
Jimmy Skunk. 

“ Down in the Green Meadows to find the Best 
Thing in the World!” shouted Striped Chipmunk 
and Peter Rabbit and Bobby Coon. Then they all 
tried to run faster. 

“The Best Thing in the World,” said Jimmy 
Skunk. “ Why, that must be packs and packs of 
beetles!” And for once in his life Jimmy Skunk 
began to hurry down the Lone Little Path after 
Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon. 

They were all running so fast that they didn’t see 
Reddy Fox until he jumped out of the long grass 
and asked: 


[ 117 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“Where are you going in such a hurry?” 

“To find the Best Thing in the World!” shouted 
Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon and Jimmy Skunk, and each did his best to 
run faster. 

“The Best Thing in the World,” said Reddy 
Fox to himself. “Why, that must be a whole pen 
full of tender young chickens, and I must have 
them.” 

So away went Reddy Fox as fast as he could run 
down the Lone Little Path after Striped Chipmunk, 
Peter Rabbit, Bobby Coon, and Jimmy Skunk. 

By and by they all came to the house of Johnny 
Chuck. 

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” asked 
Johnny Chuck. 

“To find the Best Thing in the World,” shouted 
Striped Chipmunk and Peter Rabbit and Bobby 
Coon and Jimmy Skunk and Reddy Fox. 

“The Best Thing in the World,” said Johnny 
Chuck. “Why, I don’t know of anything better 
[ ] 


THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD 


than my own little home and the warm sunshine 
and the beautiful blue sky.” 

So Johnny Chuck stayed at home and played 
all day among the flowers with the Merry Little 
Breezes of Old Mother West Wind and was as 
happy as could be. 

But all day long Striped Chipmunk and Peter 
Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and 
Reddy Fox ran this way and ran that way over the 
Green Meadows trying to find the Best Thing in 
the World. The sun was very, very warm and they 
ran so far and they ran so fast that they were very, 
very hot and tired, and still they hadn’t found the 
Best Thing in the World. 

When the long day was over they started up the 
Lone Little Path past Johnny Chuck’s house to 
their own homes. They didn’t hurry now for they 
were so very, very tired ! And they were cross — 
oh, so cross! Striped Chipmunk hadn’t found a 
single nut. Peter Rabbit hadn’t found so much as 
the leaf of a cabbage. Bobby Coon hadn’t found 
[ 119 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


the tiniest bit of sweet milky corn. Jimmy Skunk 
hadn’t seen a single beetle. Reddy Fox hadn't 
heard so much as the peep of a chicken. And all 
were as hungry as hungry could be. 

Half way up the Lone Little Path they met Old 
Mother West Wind going to her home behind the 
hill. “ Did you find the Best Thing in the World ? ” 
asked Old Mother West Wind. 

“No!” shouted Striped Chipmunk and Peter 
Rabbit and Bobby Coon and Jimmy Skunk and 
Reddy Fox all together. 

“Johnny Chuck has it,” said Old Mother West 
Wind. “It is being happy with the things you 
have and not wanting things which some one else 
has. And it is called Con-tent-ment.” 


[ 120 ] 


XIV 

LITTLE JOE OTTER’S SLIPPERY 
SLIDE 










XIV 

LITTLE JOE OTTER’S SLIPPERY SLIDE 


ITTLE Joe Otter and Billy Mink had 
been playing together around the 
Smiling Pool all one sunshiny morn- 
ing. They had been fishing and had 
taken home a fine dinner of Trout for old Grand- 
father Mink and blind old Granny Otter. They 
had played tag with the Merry Little Breezes. 
They had been in all kinds of mischief and now they 
just didn’t know what to do. 

They were sitting side by side on the Big Rock 
trying to push each other off into the Smiling Pool. 
Round, smiling, red Mr. Sun made the Green Mead- 
ows very warm indeed, and Reddy Fox, over in the 
tall grass, heard them splashing and shouting and 
having such a good time that he wished he liked 
the nice cool water and could swim, too. 

[ 123 ] y 




OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“I’ve thought of something!” cried Little Joe 
Otter. 

“What is it?” asked Billy Mink. 

Little Joe Otter just looked wise and said nothing. 

“Something to eat?” asked Billy Mink. 

“No,” said Little Joe Otter. 

“I don’t believe you’ve thought of anything at 
all,” said Billy Mink. 

“ I have too ! ” said Little Joe Otter. “ It’s some- 
thing to do.” 

“What?” demanded Billy Mink. 

Just then Little Joe Otter spied Jerry Muskrat. 
“ Hi, Jerry Muskrat ! Come over here ! ” he called. 

Jerry Muskrat swam across to the Big Rock and 
climbed up beside Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter. 

“What are you fellows doing?” asked Jerry 
Muskrat. 

“Having some fun,” said Billy Mink. “Little 
Joe Otter has thought of something to do, but I 
don’t know what it is.” 

“Let’s make a slide,” cried Little Joe Otter. 

[ 124 ] 


JOE OTTER’S SLIPPERY SLIDE 

“You show us how,” said Billy Mink. 

So Little Joe Otter found a nice smooth place on 
the bank, and Billy Mink and Jerry Muskrat brought 
mud and helped him pat it down smooth until they 
had the loveliest slippery slide in the world. Then 
Little Joe Otter climbed up the bank to the top of 
the slippery slide and lay down flat on his stomach. 
Billy Mink gave him a push and away he went down, 
down the slippery slide, splash into the Smiling 
Pool. Then Jerry Muskrat tried it and after him 
Billy Mink. Then all did it over again. Some- 
times they went down the slippery slide on their 
backs, sometimes flat on their stomachs, sometimes 
head first, sometimes feet first. Oh, such fun as they 
did have! Even Grandfather Frog came over and 
tried the slippery slide. 

Johnny Chuck, over in the Green Meadows, heard 
the noise and stole down the Lone Little Path to 
see. Jimmy Skunk, looking for beetles up on the 
hill, heard the noise and forgot that he hadn’t had 
his breakfast. Reddy Fox, taking a nap, woke up 
[ 125 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


and hurried over to watch the fun. Last of all came 
Peter Rabbit. 

Little Joe Otter saw him coming. “ Hello, Peter 
Rabbit ! ” he shouted. “ Come and try the slippery 
slide.” 

Now Peter Rabbit couldn’t swim, but he pre- 
tended that he didn’t want to. 

“ I’ve left my bathing suit at home,” said Peter 
Rabbit. 

“ Never mind,” said Billy Mink. “ Mr. Sun will 
dry you off.” 

“And we’ll help,” said all the Merry Little 
Breezes of Old Mother West Wind. 

But Peter Rabbit shook his head and said, “No.” 

Faster and faster went Billy Mink and Little Joe 
Otter and Jerry Muskrat and old Grandfather Frog 
down the slippery slide into the Smiling Pool. 

Peter Rabbit kept coming near and nearer until 
finally he stood right at the top of the slippery slide. 
Billy Mink crept up behind him very softly and gave 
him a push. Peter Rabbit’s long legs flew out from 
[ 126 1 


JOE OTTER’S SLIPPERY SLIDE 

under him and down he sat with a thump on the 
slippery slide. “ Oh,” cried Peter Rabbit, and tried 
to stop himself. But he couldn’t do it and so away 
he went down the slippery slide, splash into the 
Smiling Pool. 

“Hal ha! ha!” laughed Billy Mink. 

“Ho! ho! ho!” shouted Little Joe Otter. 

“He! he! he!” laughed Jerry Muskrat and old 
Grandfather Frog and Sammy Jay and Jimmy 
Skunk and Reddy Fox and Blacky the Crow and 
Air. Kingfisher, for you know Peter Rabbit was for- 
ever playing jokes on them. 

Poor Peter Rabbit! The water got in his eyes 
and up his nose and into his mouth and made him 
choke and splutter, and then he couldn’t get back 
on the bank, for you know Peter Rabbit couldn’t 
swim. 

When Little Joe Otter saw what a dreadful time 
Peter Rabbit was having he dove into the Smiling 
Pool and took hold of one of Peter Rabbit’s long 
ears. Billy Mink swam out and took hold of the 
[ 127 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


other long ear. Jerry Muskrat swam right under 
Peter Rabbit and took him on his back. Then with 
old Grandfather Frog swimming ahead they took 
Peter Rabbit right across the Smiling Pool and 
pulled him out on the grassy bank, where it was 
nice and warm. All the Merry Little Breezes of 
Old Mother West Wind came over and helped Mr. 
Sun dry Peter Rabbit off. 

Then they all sat down together and watched 
Little Joe Otter turn a somersault down the slippery 
slide. 


1 128I 


XV 

THE TALE OF TOMMY TROUT 
WHO DIDN’T MIND 





XV 


THE TALE OF TOMMY TROUT WHO 
DIDN’T MIND 

N the Laughing Brook, which ripples 
and sings all day long, lived Mr. Trout 
and Mrs. Trout, and a whole lot of 
little Trouts. There were so many 
little Trouts that Mr. Trout and Mrs. Trout were 
kept very busy indeed getting breakfast and dinner 
and supper for them, and watching out for them and 
teaching them how to swim and how to catch foolish 
little flies that sometimes fell on the water and how 
to keep out of the way of big hungry fish and sharp 
eyed Mr. Kingfisher and big men and little boys 
who came fishing with hooks and lines. 

Now all the little Trouts were very, very good 
and minded just what Mrs. Trout told them — all 
but Tommy Trout, for Tommy Trout — oh, dear, 
dear! Tommy Trout never could mind right away. 

[ 131 1 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


He always had to wait a little instead of minding 
when he was spoken to. 

Tommy Trout didn’t mean to be bad. Oh dear, 
no! He just wanted to have his own way, and be- 
cause Tommy Trout had his own way and didn’t 
mind Mrs. Trout there isn’t any Tommy Trout now. 
No sir, there isn’t as much as one little blue spot of 
his beautiful little coat left because — why, just be- 
cause Tommy Trout didn’t mind. 

One day when round, red Mr. Sun was shining 
and the Laughing Brook was singing on its way to 
join the Big River, Mrs. Trout started out to get 
some nice plump flies for dinner. All the little 
Trouts were playing in their dear little pool, safe 
behind the Big Rock. Before she started Mrs. 
Trout called all the little Trouts around her and told 
them not to leave their little pool while she was 
gone, “For,” said she, “something dreadful might 
happen to you.” 

All the little Trouts, except Tommy Trout, prom- 
ised that they would surely, surely stay inside their 
[ 132 1 


THE TALE OF TOMMY TROUT 

dear little pool. Then they all began to jump and 
chase each other and play as happy as could be, all 
but Tommy Trout. 

As soon as Mrs. Trout had started Tommy Trout 
swam off by himself to the edge of the pool. “I 
wonder what is on the other side of the Big Rock,” 
said Tommy Trout. “The sun is shining and the 
brook is laughing and nothing could happen if I go 
just a little speck of a ways.” 

So, when no one was looking, Tommy Trout 
slipped out of the safe little pool where all the other 
little Trouts were playing. He swam just a little 
speck of a ways. But he couldn’t see around the 
Big Rock. So he swam just a little speck of a ways 
farther still. Now he could see almost around 
the Big Rock. Then he swam just a little speck 
of a ways farther and — oh dear, dear! he looked 
right into the mouth of a great big, big fish 
called Mr. Pickerel, who is very fond of little 
Trouts and would like to eat one for breakfast 
every day. 


I i33 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


“ Ah ha ! ” said Mr. Pickerel, opening his big, big 
mouth very, very wide. 

Tommy Trout turned to run back to the dear, 
dear safe little pool where all the other little Trouts 
were playing so happily, but he was too late. Into 
that great big, big mouth he went instead, and Mr. 
Pickerel swallowed him whole. 

“ Ah ha,” said Mr. Pickerel, “ I like little Trouts.” 

And nothing more was ever heard of Tommy 
Trout, who didn’t mind. 


[ i34 ] 


XVI 

SPOTTY THE TURTLE WINS A RACE 



















•V 


4 






XVI 

SPOTTY THE TURTLE WINS A RACE 



LL the little people who lived on the 
Green Meadows and in the Smiling 
Pool and along the Laughing Brook 
were to have a holiday. The Merry 
Little Breezes of Old Mother West Wind had been 
very busy, oh, very busy indeed, in sending word to 
all the little meadow folks. You see, Peter Rabbit 
had been boasting of how fast he could run. Reddy 
Fox was quite sure that he could run faster than 
Peter Rabbit. Billy Mink, who can move so quickly 
you hardly can see him, was quite sure that neither 
Peter Rabbit nor Reddy Fox could run as fast as 
he. They all met one day beside the Smiling Pool 
and agreed that old Grandfather Frog should decide 
who was the swiftest. 

Now Grandfather Frog was accounted very wise. 
You see he had lived a long time, oh, very much 
[ i37 ] 



OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


longer than any of the others, and therefore, because 
of the wisdom of age, Grandfather Frog was always 
called on to decide all disputes. He sat on his green 
lily-pad while Billy Mink sat on the Big Rock, and 
Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox sat on the bank. 
Each in turn told why he thought he was the fast- 
est. Old Grandfather Frog listened and listened 
and said never a word until they were all through. 
When they had finished, he stopped to catch a fool- 
ish green fly and then he said : 

“ The best way to decide who is the swiftest is to 
have a race.” 

So it was agreed that Peter Rabbit and Reddy 
Fox and Billy Mink should start together from the 
old butternut tree on one edge of the Green Mead- 
ows, race away across the Green Meadows to the 
little hill on the other side and each bring back a 
nut from the big hickory which grew there. The 
one who first reached the old butternut tree with a 
hickory nut would be declared the winner. The 
Merry Little Breezes flew about over the Green 
[ 138 1 


SPOTTY WINS A RACE 


Meadows telling everyone about the race and every- 
one planned to be there. 

It was a beautiful summer day. Mr. Sun smiled 
and smiled, and the more he smiled the warmer it 
grew. Everyone was there to see the race — Striped 
Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel, Sammy Jay, 
Blacky the Crow, Hooty the Owl, and Bobby Coon 
all sat up in the old butternut tree where it was cool 
and shady. Johnny Chuck, Jerry Muskrat, Jimmy 
Skunk, Little Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog, and even 
old Mr. Toad, were there. Last of all came Spotty 
the Turtle. Now Spotty the Turtle is a very slow 
walker and he cannot run at all. When Peter Rabbit 
saw him coming up towards the old butternut tree 
he shouted : “ Come, Spotty, don’t you want to race 
with us?” 

Everybody laughed because you know Spotty is 
so very, very slow ; but Spotty didn’t laugh and he 
didn’t get cross because everyone else laughed. 

“There is a wise old saying, Peter Rabbit,” said 
Spotty the Turtle, “ which shows that those who run 
[ i39 ] 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


fastest do not always reach a place first. I think I 
will enter this race.” 

Everyone thought that that was the best joke 
they had heard for a long time, and all laughed 
harder than ever. They all agreed that Spotty the 
Turtle should start in the race too. 

So they all stood in a row, Peter Rabbit first, 
then Billy Mink, then Reddy Fox, and right side of 
Reddy Fox Spotty the Turtle. 

“Are you ready?” asked Grandfather Frog. 
“Go!” 

Away went Peter Rabbit with great big jumps. 
After him went Billy Mink so fast that he was just 
a little brown streak going through the tall grass, 
and side by side with him ran Reddy Fox. Now 
just as they started Spotty the Turtle reached up 
and grabbed the long hair on the end of Reddy’s 
big tail. Of course Reddy couldn’t have stopped 
to shake him off, because Peter Rabbit and Billy 
Mink were running so fast that he had to run his 
very best to keep up with them. But he didn’t even 
[ ho ] 


SPOTTY WINS A RACE 


know that Spotty the Turtle was there. You see 
Spotty is not very heavy and Reddy Fox was so 
excited that he did not notice that his big tail was 
heavier than usual. 

The Merry Little Breezes flew along too, to see 
that the race was fair. Peter Rabbit went with great 
big jumps. Whenever he came to a little bush he 
jumped right over it, for Peter Rabbit’s legs are 
long and meant for jumping. Billy Mink is so slim 
that he slipped between the bushes and through the 
long grass like a little brown streak. Reddy Fox, 
who is bigger than either Peter Rabbit or Billy 
Mink, had no trouble in keeping up with them. 
Not one of them noticed that Spotty the Turtle was 
hanging fast to the end of Reddy’s tail. 

Now just at the foot of the little hill on which the 
big hickory tree grew was a little pond. It wasn’t 
very wide but it was quite long. Billy Mink re- 
membered this pond and he chuckled to himself as 
he raced along, for he knew that Peter Rabbit 
couldn’t swim and he knew that Reddy Fox does 
[ 141 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


not like the water, so therefore both would have to 
run around it. He himself can swim even faster 
than he can run. The more he thought of this, the 
more foolish it seemed that he should hurry so on 
such a warm day. “ For,” said Billy Mink to him- 
self, “ even if they reach the pond first, they will 
have to run around it, while I can swim across it and 
cool off while I am swimming. I will surely get 
there first.” So Billy Mink ran slower and slower, 
and pretty soon he had dropped behind. 

Mr. Sun, round and red, looking down, smiled and 
smiled to see the race. The more he smiled the 
warmer it grew. Now Peter Rabbit had a thick 
gray coat and Reddy Fox had a thick red coat, and 
they both began to get very, very warm. Peter 
Rabbit did not make such long jumps as when he 
first started. Reddy Fox began to feel very thirsty, 
and his tongue hung out. Now that Billy Mink 
was behind them they thought they did not need to 
hurry so. 

Peter Rabbit reached the little pond first. He 
[ 142 1 


SPOTTY WINS A RACE 


had not thought of that pond when he agreed to 
enter the race. He stopped right on the edge of it 
and sat up on his hind legs. Right across he could 
see the big hickory tree, so near and yet so far, for 
he knew that he must run around the pond and then 
back again, and it was a long, long way. In just a 
moment Reddy Fox ran out of the bushes and 
Reddy felt very much as Peter Rabbit did. Way, 
way behind them was Billy Mink, trotting along 
comfortably and chuckling to himself. Peter Rab- 
bit looked at Reddy Fox in dismay, and Reddy Fox 
looked at Peter Rabbit in dismay. Then they both 
looked at Billy Mink and remembered that Billy 
Mink could swim right across. 

Then off Peter Rabbit started as fast as he could 
go around the pond one way, and Reddy Fox started 
around the pond the other way. They were so ex- 
cited that neither noticed a little splash in the pond. 
That was Spotty the Turtle who had let go of Red- 
dy’s tail and now was swimming across the pond, 
for you know that Spotty is a splendid swimmer. 

I i43 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


Only once or twice he stuck his little black nose 
up to get some air. The rest of the time he 
swam under water and no one but the Merry 
Little Breezes saw him. Right across he swam, 
and climbed up the bank right under the big hick- 
ory tree. 

Now there were just three nuts left under the 
hickory tree. Two of these Spotty took down to 
the edge of the pond and buried in the mud. The 
other he took in his mouth and started back across 
the pond. Just as he reached the other shore up 
trotted Billy Mink, but Billy Mink didn’t see Spotty. 
He was too intent watching Reddy Fox and Peter 
Rabbit, who were now half way around the pond. 
In he jumped with a splash. My! How good that 
cool water did feel! He didn’t have to hurry now, 
because he felt sure that the race was his. So he 
swam round and round and chased some fish and 
had a beautiful time in the water. By and by he 
looked up and saw that Peter Rabbit was almost 
around the pond one way and Reddy Fox was al- 
[ 144 ] 


SPOTTY WINS A RACE 


most around the pond the other way. They both 
looked tired and hot and discouraged. 

Then Billy Mink swam slowly across and climbed 
out on the bank under the big hickory tree. But 
where were the nuts? Look as he would, he could 
not see a nut anywhere, yet the Merry Little 
Breezes had said there were three nuts lying under 
the hickory tree. Billy Mink ran this way and 
ran that way. He was still running around, poking 
over the leaves and looking under the twigs and 
pieces of bark when Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox 
came up. 

Then they, too, began to look under the leaves 
and under the bark. They pawed around in the 
grass, they hunted in every nook and cranny, but 
not a nut could they find. They were tired and cross 
and hot and they accused Billy Mink of having hid- 
den the nuts. Billy Mink stoutly insisted that he 
had not hidden the nuts, that he had not found the 
nuts, and when they saw how hard he was hunting 
they believed him. 


[ US 1 


OLD MOTHER WEST WIND 


All the afternoon they hunted and hunted and 
hunted, and all the afternoon Spotty the Turtle with 
the nut in his mouth, was slowly, oh, so slowly, crawl- 
ing straight back across the Green Meadows towards 
the old butternut tree. Round, red Mr. Sun was 
getting very close to the Purple Hills, where he goes 
to bed every night, and all the little meadow folks 
were getting ready to go to their homes. They were 
wondering and wondering what could have hap- 
pened to the racers, when Sammy Jay spied the 
Merry Little Breezes dancing across the Green 
Meadows. 

4 ‘ Here come the Merry Little Breezes; they’ll tell 
us who wins the race,” cried Sammy Jay. 

When the Merry Little Breezes reached the old 
butternut tree, all the little meadow folks crowded 
around them, but the Merry Little Breezes just 
laughed and laughed and wouldn’t say a word. 
Then all of a sudden, out of the tall meadow grass 
crept Spotty the Turtle and laid the hickory nut at 
the feet of old Grandfather Frog. Old Grandfather 
[ 146 1 


SPOTTY WINS A RACE 


Frog was so surprised that he actually let a great 
green fly buzz right past his nose. 

“Where did you get that hickory nut?” asked 
Grandfather Frog. 

“Under the big hickory tree on the hill on the 
other side of the Green Meadows,” said Spotty. 

Then all the Merry Little Breezes clapped their 
hands and shouted: “He did! He did! Spotty 
wins the race!” 

Then they told how Spotty reached the pond by 
clinging to the tip of Reddy Fox’s tail, and had 
hidden the other two nuts, and then how he had 
patiently crawled home while Billy Mink and Reddy 
Fox and Peter Rabbit were hunting and hunting 
and hunting for the nuts they could not find. 

And so Spotty the Turtle was awarded the race, 
and to this day Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox and 
Billy Mink can’t bear the sight of a hickory nut. 


I 147 1 



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